Pieces of Your Heart
by givemelovelikeklaroline
Summary: Klaus stared after Tyler's rapidly retreating back, wondering if he was going to regret the decision to let him go yet again. Turning back to the door he stood in front of, Klaus thought of the girl he did this for. She was right earlier, when she said Prom wasn't important to him, but it was important to Caroline and she was important to him. It was that simple.


_"I don't want to be picking up all of these_

_Tiny little pieces of your heart._

_I was the man who never lied,_

_Never lied until today._

_But I just couldn't break your heart,_

_Like you did mine yesterday…"_

Klaus stared after Tyler's rapidly retreating back, wondering if he was going to regret the decision to let him go yet again. Turning back to the door he stood in front of, Klaus thought of the girl he did this for. _Only for Caroline._

He had come to see if she had enjoyed her night, if it was everything she had imagined it would be. She was right earlier, when she said Prom wasn't important to him, but it was important to Caroline and she was important to him.

It was that simple.

He had been in the middle of a crisis of his own, not knowing who would hold the cure by the end of the night, but he had spent an hour of his time rifling through all the things he had picked up over the centuries to find her the perfect dress. _Of royal caliber. Because she deserved no less._

Seeing the way her eyes lit up when he held out the dress he thought was most worthy of her was worth every second. She had taken the dress and ran out, throwing a quick _thank you_ over shoulder. But Klaus didn't mind. Because she had come to him. _Willingly._ She had trusted him to provide the best for her. He had made her happy, made her smile. And that, in turn, made him happy. _Caroline_ made him happy.

When she left his house, Klaus turned his mind back to his own problems. Deciding it would be a good idea to see if his baby sister was living up to the bargain, he made his way to the high school Prom. He wasn't going to lie to himself, mostly he just wanted to see how Caroline would look.

He watched from afar as she made her entrance, looking as regal as any queen. _Grace Kelly had nothing on her._ He watched as she danced with Stefan, noticing the underlying chemistry that wove between them. The thought sent a panic rushing through him, but he reminded himself that Stefan could never move on past Elena. And if Caroline ever let go of Tyler, he'd make sure she was his and only his. _Salvatore was not a threat._

But she was sad. The joy she had when he gave her the dress had dissipated. Her smile no longer lit up her eyes, instead it felt hollow. The need to make her happy again coursed through him, but he knew he could not give her what she needed right then. _Tyler Lockwood._ The boy had become the bane of his existence.

As he alternated between studying Rebekah and studying Caroline, he noticed Caroline slipping away. He wanted to follow her but promised himself he would as soon as Rebekah messed up. As he knew she would.

And she did. _Finally. _Making vague threats that would keep Rebekah occupied as he succeeded in securing the cure for Silas, Klaus left the adolescents to their activities and went after Caroline.

He heard them yards away from the house. He heard as Caroline laughed at Tyler's words. He heard the music they were dancing to. He heard the rapid sound of her heartbeat as her body responded to Tyler. He heard it all and stood there, seething from the rage at their audacity, but unable to bring himself to put an end to Caroline's happiness.

Luckily, Tyler was wise enough not to push his luck, as he walked out moments later. Klaus confronted him in a flash. His hands were itching to pull out the boy's heart, but he knew Caroline would never forgive him. He'd lose the one thing he wanted more than anything.

So he let him go. He decided to forgo his revenge in favor of the girl they both loved.

And it was worth it.

"Tyler…" Caroline interrupted his thoughts as she opened the door.

He heard the way her heart sped up in fear of being caught out. He was surprised to find that it hurt him to see the panic she felt seeing him, whereas she was perfectly happy mere moments ago with that traitor.

"Sorry to disappoint, love, but it's just me."

Caroline's shoulders sagged in relief that Tyler got away in time. "I just… I heard noises and I don't know why I thought Tyler might have…"

"He'd be a fool to come back."

Caroline nodded in trepidation. "So… what are you doing here?"

Klaus hadn't thought that far ahead. His only driving thought when he came here was to see Caroline, _to see her smile._

"I wanted to see if the dress fit," he made up on the spot.

And there it was: her smile. Smoothing down her dress, she looked at him _and smiled._"See for yourself," she said, twirling around so he could inspect it himself.

"It was made for you," he whispered in awe of her beauty as she showed off for him.

Caroline was too giddy on achieving the perfect look and getting to see Tyler again to notice that Klaus wasn't looking at the dress. He was looking at her eyes and the way they lit up again in her happiness.

"You could almost believe it was! Thanks for the loan, I'll have it dry cleaned and returned to you as soon as I can."

"Caroline," Klaus said, taking a step towards her, "whatever I give to you I don't want back. Like the drawing, or the dresses. They're yours." _As am I._

Caroline didn't know how to accept such grand gifts. Especially when she had nothing to give back to him. He was Klaus. The bad guy. The reason her boyfriend was running for his life. She couldn't give him what he wanted.

"Speaking of yours…" Klaus said, pulling something from the inside of his coat pocket. "I believe you left this with me. I thought it would go well with your ensemble…"

Her lips parted at the sight of the bracelet she often caught herself wishing she had back. The velvet box Klaus held open cased the diamond bracelet he had given her on her birthday. She had given it back in a moment of rage, but regretted the move often.

Klaus pulled out the bracelet and put the box away. Holding out his free hand, he asked, "may I?"

Looking into his eager face, she placed her hand in his. Watching the care he took in securing the bracelet on her wrist, Caroline's heart flipped over in her chest. _What is he doing to me? I can't feel this way for him…_

Her breath whooshed out as Klaus bent and placed a reverent kiss on her wrist. Her skin burned where he had placed his lips. _How can I feel this way so soon after what I just felt with Tyler? It isn't right!_

But her body rebelled against her brain. It might not feel _right,_ but it felt _good._ Being around Klaus always sent a thrill through her. With him, there was never a moment in which she felt unwanted. In fact, she had never felt more wanted in her life than when she was with him. The big, bad hybrid who could compel himself any girl he wanted, wanted only her. She wondered how long she could resist.

"Caroline Forbes," he started, straightening his lean form, "you make me wish for things I have been denying myself for centuries."

His husky confession broke through her defenses. Her mind told her _stop. Back away now._ But her heart wanted more. "Like what?" she asked softly.

But he didn't answer. He just stared into her eyes as if he'd find all the reasons for his existence in her.

"Klaus…" she tried to break the spell that was weaving around them.

"Elijah told me today that I lead a hollow life," he said, trying to express what he was feeling right then. Emotions were not his forte, but for Caroline he would try. He needed this girl to understand what she did to him. "It infuriated me, but I realize now he was right."

Caroline stared at him, unsure of where he was going with this, but knowing this was his way of reaching out to her. "I lead a hollow life, sweetheart, but I could fill it with you. Tyler will always come back for you, but if you ever decide to move on, love, I'd like a chance to prove my worth to you."

She felt each word out of his mouth unravel her, bit by bit. She knew what love felt like. She knew what desire felt like. But the intensity with which Klaus seemed to need her crumbled all the walls she had carefully built to protect herself from him.

And then an alarm bell went off in her head. _Tyler will always come back for you…_

"Klaus… you saw Tyler, didn't you?" she asked, apprehension filling her tone.

Too late, Klaus realized his slip-up. Caroline had a way of making him forget himself.

"No," he denied.

His eyes immediately shut her off from the honesty of his emotions. She had her answer.

"Yes. Yes, you did… But you let him go… Why?" she asked incredulously.

"I never saw him, Caroline," he stated adamantly. He couldn't allow for Caroline to see his weakness.

"You saw Tyler here tonight and you let him go," she stated stubbornly. "You did this for me..."

Softening her tone, she stepped up to him and tentatively raised her hand to smooth the crease in his brow caused by his frowning. "I don't know why you love me the way you do, but thank you. Thank you for letting Tyler go."

She pulled her hand away and it was all Klaus could do to keep himself from snatching it back. She was his warmth.

"The dress, the bracelet, Tyler… thank you for giving me the perfect night, Klaus," she said with a shy smile.

_I forfeit. I will never win against her. _"I'd do anything for you, Caroline. I think you know that by now."

Caroline raised an eyebrow and asked cautiously, "will you give Tyler his freedom to come back for good?"

Of all the things she could have asked of him, she chose the one thing he refused to do. But he couldn't bring himself to crush the hope in her eyes. Not tonight. Tonight was her night. The night of her dreams.

So he lied. "Yes. Eventually. Allow me a century to cool my anger at him and he can come back."

Tears welled in her eyes. A century was better than never. And what was a century when you were immortal? If this is all he would give her, then she'd take it happily.

Klaus knew she'd hate him if she knew the truth. He had no intention of letting Tyler free, ever. As long as Tyler was running, Caroline had more time for him. He didn't think he'd ever be ready to give that up. If time was all she had to give him, Klaus would take it happily.

As she suddenly launched herself into his arms in gratitude, Klaus felt a small pang of guilt at lying to her so blatantly. Holding her closer and inhaling her intoxicating scent that haunted him in his dreams, he squashed the guilt.

Because being able to hold her then, see her smile at him, making her happy if only for tonight... it was worth it.

Caroline was worth it all.

**Just a one-shot I wrote on tumblr. I had feels after the episode I just had to get out :) ****I know I already wrote a prom one-shot already, but that was a follow-up to_ Loved in Shades of Wrong_. This is based off the episode.**

**Please, review and let me know how you like it!**


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